Which of these is an example of "Artificial Price"? - Farm subsidies - Market price - Minimum wage - Rent controls

 Among the options provided, both "farm subsidies" and "rent controls" can be examples of artificial prices, as they involve government intervention that alters the natural supply and demand dynamics of the market. Farm subsidies can lead to an artificial decrease in the cost of agricultural products by providing financial assistance to farmers, while rent controls artificially cap the price landlords can charge tenants, often below the market rate.

- Farm subsidies: Governments provide financial support to farmers to stabilize food prices, ensure a steady income for farmers, and maintain the agricultural sector’s viability. This can result in food prices that do not reflect the true market equilibrium price determined by supply and demand.

- Rent controls: Rent control laws limit the amount landlords can charge for housing. This creates an artificially low price for rentals in controlled areas, which can decrease the incentive for landlords to maintain or improve their properties and can lead to a shortage of available rental units.

- Market price: is the actual price of a good or service determined by the forces of supply and demand in a competitive market, without any external interventions. Market price and minimum wage, on the other hand, are not examples of artificial prices in the same sense

- Minimum wage: is a legal minimum hourly wage that employers are required to pay their workers. While it is a form of government intervention in the labor market, it does not directly set the price of a good or service but instead mandates the lowest legal compensation for labor.